Screw-holding attachment for screw-drivers



(No'MbdeL) O. B. WEBSTER. I SCREW HOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR SCREW DRIVERS.

No. 601,188. Pa tentedvMar'. 22, 1898.

Z (0 3 mbyfen; flkmwm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARY B. WEBSTER, OF ROSEBOOM, NEW YORK.

SCREW-HOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR SCREW-DRIVERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 601,188, dated March22,1898.

Application filed August 7- .Z'o all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, GARY B. WEBSTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Roseboom, inthe county of Otsego and State of New York, haveinvented certain 11 ew and useful Improvements in Screw-Holding Attach-'ments for Screw-Drivers; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

I The object of my invention is to provide an attachment forscrew-drivers whereby a screw may be held in proper place while it isbeing inserted into or withdrawn from its seat for the purpose ofholding it in proper alinement in one case and for preventing itsaccidentally falling in the other.

The invention consists of the novel features of construction which willbe hereinafter more fully described and specifically claimed.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1represents a front elevation of my attachment shown applied to ascrewdriver.; Fig. 2 is a similar view at right angles thereto. Fig. 3is a detail perspective View of the attachment.

Like reference-numerals indicate like parts in the different views.

The screw-driver'is of the ordinary form of construction, being made upof a shank -1, having a sharpened lower end, and a handle 2, by means ofwhich it may be turned. Projecting laterally from the shank 1 is aguidepin 3, which fits within an elongated slot 4 in the plate 5,constituting the base of my screw-holding attachment. Said. plate 5 isfurther provided with a second elongated slot 6, located beneath theslot 4:, for receiving a thumb-screw '7, by means of which the positionof the attachment on the shank 1 may be regulated. The said plate 5 hasformed integral with it downwardly-extending springarms 8 8, the lowerends of which are formed with inwardly-extending lugs 9 9, which arenotched or grooved, as shownat 10, for the reception of the head of thescrew 11. The lower ends of said arms are also formed with rearwardlyextending wings 12 12, which straddle the lower ends of the shank 1. Thenotches or grooves 10 extend along the lower inner edges of the wings12, the lugs in which Serial No. 649,859. (No model.)

they are. formed constituting spring-clamps or engaging portions for thehead of the screw.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings the screw 11 is shown in operative position inthe holder, the lower end of the screw-driver fitting within the groovein the head of said screw. When in this position, the screw maybeinserted into the opening designed to receive it and screwed into placeby turning the handle 2 of the screwdriver in the ordinary manner. Whenthe lower ends of the arms 8 8 come in contact with the wood or othermaterial in which the screw is being driven, they will springv apart,releasing the engaging portions thereof from the head of the screw andthereby enabling the screw to be driven home by the screw driver alone.In removing the screw from an inaccessible place the-thumbscrew 7 isloosened and the screw holder moved upwardly on the shank 1, throwingthe engaging portions thereof awayfrom the lower end of said shank. Thescrew to be removed may then be slightly turned to the left until itshead projects slightly beyond the surface of the material in which itis'located. The holder may then be thrown downwardly and the engagingportions of the spring-arms brought into contact with the head of thescrew. The further outward movement of the screw may then be effected inthe usual manner, and when it has been withdrawn there will be no dangerof its falling to the ground, as it is securely held between thespring-arms 8 8.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that my improvedscrew-holding attachment is made of a single piece of metal which isadapted to be adj ustably secured to the shank of the screw-driver, uponone'side thereof and is provided with inwardly springpressed arms whichact from the resiliency of the metal from which they are made, the saidarms being provided withinwardly-extending lugs having recesses out inthem in which the head of the screw fits and with laterallyextendingwings which lie at right angles to the base of the plate and to thatpartof, the shank to which the base is attached, so as to embrace orstraddle the point of a screwdriver, as clearly shown.

Having now described my invention, what Patent, is

As a new article of manufacture, a screwhoiding attachment forscrew-drivers, made of a single piece of metal, the base of which isprovided with slots for the reception, respectively, of a guide-pin andan adjustingscrew on the shank of the screw-driver and withdownwardly-extendin g,inward1y-sprin gpressed arms formed with lugshaving recesses cut in them on their inner surfaces and withlaterally-extending wings adapted to embrace the ends of the shanks andlying at right angles to the base and to that part of the shank to whichsaid base is attached, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this I 5 specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARY B. WEBHTER.

\Vitnesses:

O. E. IIAWLEY, ANN MILLER.

